Lori’s Casserole

Lori’s Casserole–pasta with a pizza flare. There is so much flavor from the Italian sausage and bacon. Don’t forget the creamy element from cream cheese and melty mozzarella cheese on top! Making this recipe in the Instant Pot is so fast and easy.

Pin this recipe for later!

Lori’s Casserole

Today’s recipe is one of those dinners that is just mmm mmm good and comfort food to the max. Every recipe I have made with Italian sausage is a good one. Starting with all that flavor makes a winning dinner. This dinner reminds me a bit of pizza pasta and the leftovers are just as good or better than the first day. You can even make this dinner as a freezer meal for a future dinner. Have a smaller group? Freeze half for an easy meal another night.

This recipe is adapted from Lori’s Creamy Pizza Casserole on Just a Pinch.

Ingredients/Substitution Ideas

• Italian sausage–I used Johnsonville mild Italian sausage
• Onion–yellow, white
• Chicken broth–or 4 cups water and 4 tsp of Better than Bouillon chicken base
• Italian seasoning
• Rotini–or penne, cavatappi, macaroni
• Crushed tomatoes
• Tomato sauce
• Diced green chiles–I used mild
• Cream cheese–or neufchatel
• Mozzarella cheese
• Bacon crumbles–optional but yummy

Steps

Turn Instant Pot to saute setting. When display says HOT add in the sausage and break it up. Add in the onions. Brown for about 5 minutes. Drain off excess grease.

Pour in the broth and scrape bottom of pot so that nothing is sticking. Turn off Instant Pot.

Sprinkle in the Italian seasoning and the rotini pasta.

Dump the tomatoes, tomato sauce, green chiles and cream cheese on top. Don’t stir.

Cover Instant Pot and secure the lid. Make sure valve is set to sealing. Set the manual/pressure cook button to 4 minutes. When time is up let pot sit for 5-10 minutes and then move valve to venting. Remove the lid.

Stir, until cream cheese is all incorporated.

Spread the contents of Instant Pot into a 9×13 inch pan. Sprinkle with the mozzarella and bacon. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. 

Serve and enjoy.

Notes/Tips

• Serve with a green salad and garlic bread.
• I used my 6 quart Instant Pot*. You can also make this in an 8 quart pot or halve the recipe in the 3 quart pot.
• If you use another type of pasta you may need to adjust the cooking time. Here is the formula: look at the back of the box of pasta and see how many minutes it says to boil the pasta. If it’s 10 minutes you divide that number by 2 (=5) and then subtract 2 minutes. So you would pressure cook for 3 minutes. I usually use a 5-10 minute natural pressure release for pasta.
• This recipe can be prepped ahead of time and then frozen. I like using the disposable foil pans and then I wrap the pan tightly with foil. When you’re ready to eat you can thaw it overnight and bake with the foil on top until warmed through (about 45 minutes at 350 degrees) or you can bake from frozen (about 90 minutes at 350 degrees).
• Try adding in diced green bell peppers, mushrooms or olives.
• Store leftovers in an airtight container* in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
• Other recipes you can make with bacon crumbles are Anthony’s Chicken and Love Machine Casserole.

Did you know you can filter the recipes on my website to search by meat type, IP or Crockpot, low carb, gluten free, etc.? Use the filter to find exactly what you are looking for. 

Pin this recipe for later!

Print

Pin this recipe for later!

More Instant Pot Pasta Casseroles…

*Karen Petersen is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.